What is a Thermal Imaging Camera?

A thermal imaging camera is a type of thermographic cameras used in firefighting. By rendering infrared radiation as visible light, such Thermal imaging cameras allow firefighters to see areas of heat through smoke, darkness, or heat-permeable barriers. Thermal Imagers are constructed using heat- and water-resistant housings and ruggedized to withstand the hazards of fire ground operations.

How do thermal cameras detect heat?

Preventative Maintenance

The most popular use for thermal imaging, as both novices and professionals, can benefit from it. Many devices and machines tend to overheat leading up to a failure, and that also includes circuitry and electrical outlets. A thermal imaging camera provides an easy way to scan these objects for specific areas that may be overheating. It can quickly show you problem areas anywhere from the engine block to the fuse box, Which saves time and money down the road.

Heating and Cooling Troubleshooting

Air leaks in and around your home can not only make your home less comfortable, they also cost the money from increased energy bills.It allows you to quickly scan areas in your house for any drafts or air leaks that are contributing to the loss of heating and cooling in your home. With thermal imaging, you can pinpoint areas around doors and windows that aren't properly sealed, and use this after a repair to ensure that the sealing has been done correctly for more details

How does thermal camera work?

Thermal imaging camera work in far-infrared (9..14 um) light. Normal optical glass and silicon-based CCD/CMOS sensors don’t work within this range. Most of the Glass is opaque in infrared, and standard silicon-based optical sensors are not sensitive above 1.1 um.

Lenses are made of an exotic material that is transparent in the far-infrared, like germanium or germanium oxide. For bigger temperatures, it’s enough to sense 3..5um radiation, for that purpose silicon works too. Other materials are used for specialty applications. In theory, some plastics could be used. Manufacturing is not more expensive than that of standard glass optics, but due to the low volume, thermal imaging optics are astronomically expensive.